WBA world bantamweight champion Cherneka Johnson has been presented with a monumental opportunity, colossal enough to launch her towards new levels of stardom.
Following a withdrawal from Dina Thorslund, it was announced just yesterday that ‘Sugar Neeks’ will instead face Shurretta Metcalf for the undisputed throne at 118lbs.
The pair will collide at Madison Square Garden, New York, on July 11, featuring on the undercard of Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano 3.
Not only that, but Johnson, 17-2 (7 KOs), also revealed in an Instagram post that she has now joined MVP Promotions, a rapidly-growing outfit co-founded by YouTube star Jake Paul.
In her last outing, meanwhile, the 30-year-old produced a dominant display against Nina Hughes, halting their rematch with an emphatic seventh-round stoppage to retain her WBA strap in March.
Before that, Johnson had edged a highly-contentious majority decision in their first encounter, which followed a more comprehensive points defeat to Ellie Scotney in 2023.
But now, it would appear that the Australian is at the peak of her powers, bidding to amass all the bantamweight jewellery with a victory over IBF world champion Metcalf.
Thorslund, 23-0 (9 KOs), of course, was supposed to put her WBC and WBO world titles on the line next month, until a late discovery regarding her pregnancy ultimately led to a speedy withdrawal.
As a result, the 31-year-old has since relinquished her two straps and, in doing so, has raised the stakes for Johnson and Metcalf’s clash on the stacked all-women’s Netflix show.
One would only suspect, too, that Thorslund will take on the winner soon after she returns to the squared circle.
